It may not be heading back into space and its crew members aren't astronauts, but space shuttle Discovery's final flight has its own mission patch.

The emblem, which was shared with collectSPACE.com, was designed by the captain of the modified Boeing 747 that will fly Discovery to Washington, D.C. next week. It will also also serve as the official insignia for the similar deliveries of orbiters Enterprise and Endeavour later this month and year, respectively.

"We do have a crew patch for this series of missions," Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) chief pilot Jeff Moultrie told collectSPACE. "There's an approved NASA patch that we are going to be using for all three shuttle ferries."

Gonzo

And we can get these patches, where?

Robert Pearlman

No word yet, but I suspect eventually this patch may become available through AB Emblem as it is NASA's official patch for the ferry flights.

mach3valkyrie

A nice compliment to the other set of three SCA patches.

p51

quote:Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:I suspect eventually this patch may become available through AB Emblem

I sure hope that turns out to be the case.

Apollo 8

quote:Originally posted by mach3valkyrie:A nice compliment to the other set of three SCA patches.

A nice collection together with the three, the Shuttle Carriers of America Patch and MaxQs Final Flight Patches!

And I hope too, we can buy them from AB Emblems...

OV-105

Give two weeks a month at max and it will be on eBay just like the shuttle end of program patches that were voted on.

Robert Pearlman

AB Emblem will be producing and selling through its retailers the "Final Mission" Shuttle Carrier Aircraft ferry flight patch.

We are pleased to announce we will be offering for stock The Final Mission — NASA SCA emblem developed for the shuttle carrier aircraft which delivered Discovery to Washington, DC and will also deliver Enterprise and Endeavor to their final locations.

The patches that were flown on board Discovery's final ferry flight and which will be on board for Enterprise's delivery were also produced by AB Emblem.

I'm going to order mine now! They are sold for a fair price. Is there a limited number of patches?

mikelynaugh

Just picked up mine (along with a few others I have wanted for a while and never pulled the trigger). Thanks for posting that they were available!

Gonzo

Mike, noticed you are from Akron, Ohio. Did you order yours or did you actually buy them somewhere? If so, where? Just curious.

GoesTo11

Just a heads-up to everyone who ordered one of these: I spoke with a gentleman at AB Emblem this morning (regarding a different item), and he mentioned that they'd been "inundated" with orders for the "Final Mission" patches and are now running 2-3 weeks behind in production and order fulfillment.

So if you've recently ordered the patch from AB and haven't yet received it ...patience.

mikelynaugh

quote:Originally posted by Gonzo:Did you order yours or did you actually buy them somewhere? If so, where?

I am sorry for my phrasing, I meant I ordered one from their site.

328KF

If you are looking to obtain this patch, be aware that the knockoff artists in Malaysia have apparently already produced a poor copy of it.

You'll have to wait 15-20 days for shipping, but hey, what do you expect for $5.99?

Apollo 8

The original AB Emblem patch is available now at Joe Fricano's Skyforce Patches for $5.75 USD+free shipping.

Gonzo

quote:Originally posted by GoesTo11:"Final Mission" patches and are now running 2-3 weeks behind in production and order fulfillment.

Talked to AB Tuesday. My order was going out in the mail that afternoon. Should get it today. Will post if I do. So it looks like they've caught up to some extent anyway on the production.

Joe has them as well. So that leads me to believe they've shipped him some too.

GoesTo11

AB confirmed that my order is shipping today as well.

kosmo

Got my patches today, very NICE! Made in the USA.

328KF

I received my patches from AB as well. I found that there is one subtle difference between the second run of patches and the originals. The gold colored thread comprising the aircraft and around the edge is a slightly brighter, more yellow shade in the new patches.

In this photo, the patch on the left is an original flown on the SCA. On the right is the just released patch. Not great contrast in this pic, but it is quite noticeable in person. A very minor variation but it does differentiate the two.

Every other detail in the new patches are identical, and these are a very high quality production of a fantastic design.

J Blackburn

Received mine today. These are really nice looking patches. I like the size of the patch too. It is a slightly larger than standard 4 inch patches, however in my opinion it is the right size for the artwork on the patch.

GoesTo11

Received mine today as well...I can only echo others' opinions here. A very attractive design, superbly rendered.

Though of course, as with pretty much anything related to this, the appreciation comes with a slight sense of melancholy.

p51

Has anyone else noticed the different versions of these now out that have the T-38s deleted and "Shuttle transition and retirement" across the top instead of 'NASA SCA"?